After adding a client, you can begin managing their personal information and preferences. To get started, click Edit under the client's name when viewing their Overview page.
In this guide, we'll cover:
Note: To learn more about managing personal information and preferences for a couple client, see Managing and editing couple profiles.
Client Info
The Client Info tab is where you’ll manage a client's basic demographic and contact information.
Client Status
Here, you can indicate whether a client is active or inactive. Making a client inactive will remove them from your active client list, while preserving their documentation and appointment history. For more information, see Making a client inactive.
Name
Only the Legal first name and Legal last name are required in the Name section. If you’re billing insurance, it's important that the client’s name matches exactly what's listed on their identification cards.
You can use the What name do they go by? field to list the client's preferred name. This will update how their name is displayed within your account, and on invoices and statements. The client’s legal name will still populate on claims and superbills. For more information, see Adding a client's preferred name.
You can also indicate if the client is a minor. To learn best practices for managing the profiles of minor clients, see Enhanced Client Management for minors.
Clinicians (Group practices only)
In a group practice, you can designate the client’s Primary clinician. Appointments you schedule for this client will be assigned to the primary clinician by default. You can also grant other clinicians in the practice access to the client profile. See Sharing clients to learn more about managing clients in a group practice.
Phone
You can use this section to list the client's phone number(s). Check the box(es) next to Voice message ok or Text message ok to indicate the client’s consent to communication via voice or text. You can also indicate the client’s preferences for receiving appointment reminders. For more information, see How to set up appointment and time of scheduling reminders.
To add, edit, or delete a client's phone number:
- Navigate to to the client's Overview page
- Click Edit > Client Info
- Under Phone:
- Click + Phone number to add a new phone number
- Type into the field to edit an existing phone number
- Click the trash can icon to delete an existing phone number
- If the client is currently receiving text or voice reminders at that phone number, you’ll first need to uncheck the Send appointment reminders and/or Send incomplete document reminders boxes or choose a different phone number from the dropdown
- Click Save Client
You can use this field to list the client’s email and indicate whether they consent to receiving emails from your practice. You can also use the checkboxes to enable email reminders for the client.
Important: The Email field should be left blank if the client is a minor and doesn’t have their own personal email address. Instead, you can add a contact’s email address to the Contacts tab of the minor client’s information settings. For more information, see Enhanced Client Management for minors.
To add, edit, or delete a client's email:
- Navigate to to the client's Overview page
- Click Edit > Client Info
- Under Email:
- Click + Email address to add a new email address
- Type into the field to edit an existing email address
- Click the trash can icon to delete an existing email address
- If the client is currently receiving email reminders at that address, you’ll first need to uncheck the boxes next to Appointments and/or Completing documents boxes or choose a different email address from the dropdown
- Click Save Client
When you make changes to an email associated with the client’s Client Portal access, you'll see a modal asking if you'd like to update or disable Client Portal access. Click Yes, Disable and Resend to resend a Client Portal invitation to the updated address, or Yes, Disable Access to disable Client Portal access for a deleted address.
Note: Incomplete document reminders are only available for clients who have the Client Portal enabled. To invite a client to the Client Portal, navigate to the Client Portal tab and click Send email. To learn more about client reminders, see How to set up appointment and time of scheduling reminders.
Location
If you have multiple office locations, you can set a default location for the client’s appointments. This will auto-populate as the location for any appointments you schedule for this client moving forward. To learn more, see Adding office locations.
Address
This field should list the client’s primary address. This address will auto-populate on the client's billing documents and is required for insurance billing.
Tip: If your client has insurance, you can use the Search address function when entering their address. This will include their full 9-digit ZIP Code, which is often required for insurance claims.
About Client
You can use these fields to expand on the details of a client’s identity. These fields are all optional, unless you're billing insurance for the client. Here, you can list the following client information:
- Date of Birth
- Sex
- Gender Identity
- Relationship Status
- Employment Status
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Preferred Language
- Client Notes
- Date First Seen
Date of Birth and Sex are required fields if you’re billing insurance. The Sex field consists of a dropdown selector that will auto-populate to box 3 of the CMS-1500 claim form. Insurance payers only accept Male or Female values in that box, so this is a rigid selector field.
You can use the Gender Identity free text field to input their gender identity, pronouns, and other information important to making them feel welcome in your practice.
We also include optional reporting fields for Race, Ethnicity, and Preferred Language, as a part of our development toward Meaningful Use compliance under the HITECH act. You can use the Race & Ethnicity Details free text field to record any additional details that are relevant to a client’s background, like their country of origin or tribal affiliation.
Note: Some customers choose to use the Client Notes field to record information about client medications. For more information, see Adding medications to Client Notes.
Referred By
You can use this field to indicate the referral source for a client. You can search for an existing referral source or add a new one. To enter a new referral source:
- Navigate to to the client's Overview page
- Click Edit > Client Info
- Under Referred By, click + Create new referral
- Enter a name for the referral source
- Select Add now
- Click Save Client
The referral source for a client will be recorded in the Referral income report in your account, including the Total Revenue and total number of Referrals for each source. For more information about this report, see Understanding your income reports.
Billing and Insurance
Tip: If your client bills their appointments through insurance, review our guide to Setting up insurance billing for your clients.
Billing Type
In this field, you can indicate whether the client will be billed through Insurance, or as a Self-pay client. This will determine how each appointment is billed.
Autogenerate Billing Documents
Under Autogenerate Billing Documents, you can choose to generate monthly statements and superbills for this client.
Tip: Invoice creation settings can only be adjusted on a practice level. See Setting up your billing and automations to learn how to customize your billing automations.
Email Billing Notifications
In this field, you can indicate if your client would like to receive their billing documents as an attachment sent directly via email, or if they'd prefer to receive an email notification prompting them to sign into their Client Portal when new billing documents become available. For more information, see How to share billing documents with clients.
Credit & Debit Cards
If you have Online Payments enabled in your account, you can add, edit, or delete a client's credit card information. To do this:
- Navigate to to the client's Overview page
- Click Edit > Billing and Insurance
- Under Credit & Debit Cards:
- Click + Card to add a new card
- Click Edit to edit an existing card
- Click the trash can icon to delete an existing card
- Click Save Client
To request new credit card information, see Credit Card Information form.
Note: You can learn more about our integrated Online Payments feature here: Online Payments FAQs.
Insurance Information
You can use these fields to enter a client’s insurance information. For more information, see Insurance Info.
Authorization tracking
Certain insurance plans will require prior authorization in order for a client to be eligible for coverage. To add a prior authorization number to your client's file, click + Authorization number. This will auto-populate the prior authorization number into box 23 of the client's insurance claims. For more information, see Using Authorization Tracking.
Insurance Claim/CMS Fields
If you’d like to enable additional fields for the client's insurance claims, check the box next to Show additional claim fields
Note: Most insurance payers don't require these fields. If you're unsure if a field needs to be completed on a claim, please reach out to the payer directly for confirmation. To learn more about claim filing, see Filing primary claims in SimplePractice.
Client Default Services
To set a default service for the client, select a service code from the dropdown and adjust the rate as needed. This default service code and rate will auto-populate when you create new appointments for this client. It'll also auto-populate into box 24d of claim forms. You can update a client's default service at any time.
Note: You can manage the services available for your account at Settings > Billing & Services > Services. For more information, see Creating and using service codes and products.
Contacts
If you'd like to list an emergency contact, third-party beneficiary, or a guardian in a client's profile, you can add them as a new contact in the Contacts tab. To get started, click Add contact.
From the Contacts tab, you can click Manage next to an existing contact to make changes to their information or settings.
To learn more about creating a contact and managing their Client Portal and billing settings, see:
Client Portal
The Client Portal tab is where you'll manage a client's Client Portal access. You can choose which Client Portal features the client will have permissions for, enable or disable their access, and update the email associated with their login.
Tip: See Setting up the Client Portal and Sending intake forms and documents to clients for more information on managing the Client Portal.
If your client is experiencing difficulties with logging into their Client Portal using Instant Sign In, you can generate a one-time Pin Code from this page. To learn more, see Troubleshooting Client Portal login issues.
